Kevin Sinfield has been instrumental in Rob Burrow's quest to raise awareness of BND. Photo: PA/Danny Lawson
It was an image of unfathomable power. The moment Kevin Sinfield stopped just steps short of the finish line of last year's Leeds Marathon to lift Rob Burrow out of his wheelchair and carry him over the line transcended anything that could conventionally be called sport. It represented the purest essence of their friendship, confirming that there is no limit to how far one person is willing to go for another.
The more brutally Burrow's abilities were curtailed, the more unbreakable his bond with Sinfield became. Their connection had the rarest quality: it was unconditional. “This is the best friendship,” Sinfield once said. Exactly. Despite his devastation, seeing Burrow suffer from the ravages of motor neurone disease, he became relentless in his belief that no sacrifice is too great and no effort too onerous to bear.
Rob Burrow dies at age 41 after battling motor neurone disease. More details
He took on physical challenges that belied his belief. First, seven marathons in seven days, then 101 miles in 24 hours, and finally a series of seven “ultras” that left his legs, by his own description, looking like they'd been run over by a lawn mower. All of this, he explained, stemmed from his unwavering devotion to his wife.
The nobility of the enterprise excited the nation. You saw it in the people who lined his Sinfield route on muddy mornings in the Pennines, and in the emotion that ran through the crowd as he held Burrow's body in the final strides. The sincerity of their mutual admiration was beyond doubt. Burrow, who in the end could only communicate through an eye monitor that turned his blinks into letters, spoke of Sinfield's honesty and willingness to solve the most difficult problems with a minimum of fuss.
Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow has died aged 41.
That was the moment his best friend Kevin Sinfield carried him across the finish line at Rob Burrow's inaugural Leeds Marathon in May 2023.
He said it was “one of the best days of my life.” pic.twitter.com/xRSZtIbzYP
— BBC Yorkshire (@BBCLookNorth) June 2, 2024
Sinfield, in turn, understood a fundamental truth: no short-term discomfort could compare to the situation Burrow faced. There were times, away from the cameras, when sleep deprivation and the constant pounding of the roads could have broken him. But he emerged from those depths imagining the pain Burrow experienced daily. He says it made him braver, tougher and more determined not to accept failure.
They ended up releasing a children's book to capture the essence of the relationship. It's called “With You Every Step” and features a series of illustrations that demonstrate unrivaled loyalty. No matter how extreme Sinfield's efforts were, Burrow promised he would do the same for him. There was never any doubt about that.
Sinfield reflected on how he wanted his experience to be brutal, how he was desperate to overcome even the barriers he knew in rugby league. Only in this way, he reasoned, could he feel involved in achieving the highest good. The raw numbers were dismal: the pair together raised more than £13 million for MND charities. But it is their genuine commitment to each other that has the most lasting impact. Brothers in arms: the term, as we saw on that unforgettable day in Leeds, may have been invented for them.
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